1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door sealing structure for sealing between a door opening portion of a vehicle body and a periphery of a vehicle door.
2. Description of Related Art
The door sealing structure generally includes a weather strip which is attached along one or both of an inside surface of the periphery of the vehicle door, and the door opening portion of the vehicle body. The weather strip has a tubular seal portion which is adapted to contact and press against the facing door opening portion of the vehicle body, or the inside surface of the periphery of the vehicle door when the vehicle door is closed. (Publication of unexamined Japanese utility model application No. Hei 4-110645).
FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section of one typical example of conventional door sealing structures, which is taken along the line of Yxe2x80x94Y of FIG. 2. As shown, a trim 10 having a tubular seal portion 12 on an outside wall thereof is mounted on a flange 14 provided along a door opening portion of a vehicle body 24. When a vehicle door 16 (FIG. 2) is closed, the tubular seal portion 12 contacts and presses against a facing inside surface of a periphery of the vehicle door 16 (doorframe 18 in FIG. 1). In the drawing, reference numeral 20 denotes a sub-seal member attached to a roof side 22 of a vehicle body 24. When the vehicle door 16 (FIG. 2) is closed, an outside end of the sub-seal member 20 contacts and presses against the inside surface of the doorframe 18. And reference numeral 26 denotes a glass run attached to the doorframe 18 to seal between a door glass 28 and the doorframe 18.
The configuration of the door opening portion slightly varies with the position thereof. In addition, there occurs inevitable scattering in the mounted state of the vehicle door on the vehicle body. Consequently, the pressing state of the seal portion of the weather strip varies with the mounted position thereof. So, the conventional door sealing structure has a problem that uniform sealing performance cannot be achieved over the entire length of the door opening portion.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sealing structure for a vehicle door, which is capable of forming a seal line with uniform sealing performance between a door opening portion of a vehicle body, and a periphery of the vehicle door irrespective of the variations in the configuration of the door opening portion, and the scattering in the mounted state of the vehicle door on the door opening portion.
In a first aspect of the present invention, the sealing structure for sealing between a door opening portion of a vehicle body, and a periphery of the vehicle door has a channel in one of the door opening portion, and the inside surface of the periphery of the vehicle door, which extends in a circumferential direction thereof, and also has a projection in the other thereof, which extends in a circumferential direction thereof such that, when the vehicle door is closed, a projecting end thereof enters the channel while contacting opposite side walls defining the channel. The wall defining the channel, or the projection is composed of a rubber-like elastic body. Since the sealing structure thus arranged enables the projection provided in one of the door opening portion and the periphery of the vehicle door to enter the channel provided in the other and closely contact the wall defining the channel, uniform sealing performance can be achieved over the entire length of a resultant seal line.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a channel is provided in one of the door opening portion and the inside surface of the periphery of the vehicle door, and a projection composed of a rubber-like elastic body is provided in the other thereof. Opposite side walls defining the channel are approximately parallel to the direction in which the projection enters the channel, and the projection defines a seal surface at a projecting end thereof, which slides on the opposite side walls defining the channel when the projection enters the channel. When the vehicle door is closed, the projection of rubber-like elastic body enters the channel smoothly while sliding on the opposite side walls defining the channel.
In a third aspect of the present invention, a channel is provided in one of the door opening portion and the inside surface of the periphery of the vehicle door such that opposite side walls defining the channel are inclined to each other to gradually enlarge the channel width from a bottom thereof towards an opening thereof, and a projection composed of a rubber-like elastic body is provided in the other thereof to define a seal surface at a projecting end thereof, which is adapted to slide on the opposite side walls defining the channel when the projection enters the channel. With this arrangement, the opening width of the channel is enlarged, and consequently, when the vehicle door is closed, the projecting end of the projection enters the opening of the channel smoothly irrespective of the scattering in the mounted state of the vehicle door on the vehicle body.
In a fourth aspect of the present invention, a channel is provided in one of the door opening portion and the inside surface of the periphery of the vehicle door using a rubber-like elastic member having an approximately U-shaped cross-section, of which the channel width is decreased toward the opening thereof, and a projection is provided in the other thereof to define a seal surface at a projecting end thereof, which is adapted to slide on ends of the side walls defining the channel, when the projection enters the channel when the vehicle door is closed, the projecting end of the projection slides on the ends of the side walls defining the channel, which are composed of a rubber-like elastic member, and enters the channel while pressing the ends of the side walls to enlarge the opening width of the channel
In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the sealing structure has both of one channel and one projection in one of the door opening portion and the inside surface of the periphery of the vehicle door, which extend parallel to each other in a circumferential direction thereof, and further has both of another projection and another channel in the other thereof, which extend parallel to each other in a circumferential direction thereof, such that, when the vehicle door is closed, one projection enters another channel while another projection enters one channel. A wall defining one channel or another projection, and a wall defining another channel or one projection are respectively composed of a rubber-like elastic body. When the vehicle door is closed, a double seal is formed between the door opening portion of the vehicle body, and the periphery of the vehicle door.
In the preceding aspects, the term xe2x80x9crubber-like elastic bodyxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9crubber-like elastic memberxe2x80x9d has been used to mean a body or member which is formed of rubber, soft resin, thermoplastic elastomer, or the like to exhibit rubber-like elasticity.
Other objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification.